THERE were fears this week that Wellington could face the loss of a second pharmacy following last autumn’s announcement that Boots is to close its Mantle Street premises.

Superdrug has traded in the town centre since 1987, but the Fore Street retail shop property has now been put on the market for sale.

Property agents Smith Price RRG LLP is asking for offers in the region of £345,000 for the freehold of what it called a ‘prime shop investment’.

Boots has said its pharmacy located on the Wellington Medical Centre site will close on February 17 with staff transferring to other branches, including its store in the town’s High Street.

The closure will leave Wellington with three town centre pharmacies - Boots, Lloyds, and Superdrug.

A spokesman for Superdrug told the Wellington Weekly: “We cannot provide any further information on the store at this moment in time.

“We will let you know if this changes.”

Smith Price spokesman John Loveday said Superdrug signed a new five-year lease only in October last year, with a break clause scheduled in 2026.

Superdrug currently pays an annual rental of £27,000 for the property, which was built in the early 1900s.

Mr Loveday said Superdrug was a national multiple retailer with more than 800 shops across the UK and a turnover of nearly £1.4 billion.

He said the company was owned by AS Watson Group, with the ultimate holding company being CK Hutchison Holdings.

Credit Safe had given Superdrug Stores Plc a ‘very low risk’ score of 80.

Local concern over the closure of the medical centre’s Boots pharmacy has centred on the difficulty of patients accessing town centre facilities which mostly did not have car parking available, and the risk of having to make a double journey if there were any queries on a prescription.